Trump says he’s reached ‘amicable’ agreement with 3M to make masks

President Trump announced Monday that he has reached an “amicable” agreement with the company 3M to produce masks for health care workers, after Trump bashed the company last week. 

The company will make 55.5 million face masks per month, for a total of 166.6 million masks, Trump said at a White House press briefing, calling it a “very amicable agreement.”

“The 3M saga ends very happily,” he said. “We’re very proud now to be dealing with 3M.”

Trump had said last week that he was using the Defense Production Act to compel 3M to make more masks, saying the company was not doing enough. 

“We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks. ‘P Act’ all the way,” Trump tweeted last week. “Big surprise to many in government as to what they were doing – will have a big price to pay!”

The company said in a statement last week that the administration was trying to stop it from exporting masks to Canada and Latin America, which would have “significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America.”

Trump said he spoke to the company’s CEO, Mike Roman, on Monday. 

Masks for health care workers are in short supply and one of the key needs for hard-hit hospitals.